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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

O. H. ROBINSON.

VISE.

No. 406,957. Patented July 16, 1889.

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(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2. G. H. ROBINSON.

VISE

No. 406,957. Patented July 16, 1889..

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M E E MMHH E W W 4 v 1 A. W /w/fl/P/f/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. ROBINSON, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

VlSE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 406,957, dated July 16, 1889.

Application filed December 21, 1885. Serial No.186,400. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, (HARLES ll. RonlivsoN, of St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vises, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to that class of vises which are adapted for holding work vertically well as horizontally. Vises of this character which have hitherto been made have been defective, in that they are weak laterally, so that they break under the blows upon work held vertically therein, more vises being broken in this manner than from all other causes combined. This lateral weakness is due generally either to the movable jaw being unsupported on the side opposite to that on which the work is held or to the holding-jaws not being located centrally with reference to theline of force which brings the jaws together. In the present improved vise all lateral weakness is overcome by so constru ctin g the same that the jaws are arranged symmetrically with the operating shaft or rod which forces them together, and by ext-ending the side wall of the casing of the stationary jaw so that it supports the slide of the movable jaw on the side opposite to that on which the vertical work is held.

lhe improved vise is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of an improved form of screw-vise provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is an end view looking toward the movable jaw. Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssection in a plane indicated by the line a: a; in Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is an end view looking toward the stationary jaw. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the vise. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the stationary casing and jaw in detail. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the movable slide and jaw in detail. Fig. 8 is a perspective view in detail of the nut through which the operating screw shaft or rod passes. Fig. 0 is a side view of an approved form of camvisc provided with my improvements. Fig.

10 is a vertical cross-section thereof in a plane indicated by the line 1 y in Fig. 9; and Fig. ll. is a central horizontal section thereof.

Referring first to the screw-vise shown in Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive, A is the stationary casing carrying the stationary jaw A and having bottom side flanges A" A, by which it may be bolted to the Work-bench.

The casing A is hollow, and in it reciproca-tcs the hollow movable slide B, which carries the movable jaw B The slide B may be reciprocated with reference to the stationary easin g in any of the well-known ways, two of which are shown in the drawings. In the screw-vise the slide is operated by a screw shaft or rod 0', journaled at opposite ends in the end walls of the slide. This shaft or rod is secured in'position at one end by a nut 0 by means of which wear may be taken up, and at the other end by the usual apertured enlarged head through which passes or is attached the operating-handle C. This screw shaft or rod passes through and engages with a square nut D, which is secured to the stationary casing and prevented from rotation by fitting in a square aperture to in one wall of the casing. The nut is held from lateral displacement by a projecting lug D integrally formed therewith, which lies against the side of the casing, and is secured thereto by a tap-screw D.

111 the cam-vise shown in Figs 9,10, and 11 a cam shaft or rod 0 takes the place of the screw shaft or red. The cam shaft or rod 0 has a cam C, fitting in a recess in the rear of a sliding plate D", having a notched side which co-operates with notches formed on the inner surface of one wall of the stationary casing. The operating screw or cam shaft or rod which forces the slide and movable jaw against the stationary jaw is arranged centrally and symmetrically with reference to the two jaws, so that when an article is grasped by the jaws there is no twisting-strain upon the jaws, as would be the case if the jaws were projected-or bent to one side of the line of force, which is the axial line of the operating shaft or rod; and when work is held vertically the jaws grasp the same parallelly, their force acting at all times in parallel lines, owing to there being no twisting of the jaws. In order that the operating shaft or rod and the jaws may be thus located centrally with reference to each other, and at the same time the jaws may hold work vertically, a novel construction of the slide which carries the movable jaw adopted, whereby the operating shaft or rod is located cccentrically to or at one side of the longitudinal center of the slide. The slide is essentially a hollow elongated box or case having one open side throughout its length. The side which is cut away is the outer side or the side on which the operator stands, which is ordinarily the right-hand side. The left hand side, top, andbottom of the slide are all closed and solid, and preferably formed in a single piece, so that great strength and rigidity are secured. In mounting the operating shaft or rod in the slide it is not arranged centrally therein, but is placed eccentrically therein by being mounted as close to the open side as is practicable, so that the margins or edges of said open side are nearly tangential to or in line with the outer edge of the operating shaft or rod. Since the jaws are arranged centrally to the shaft or rod their outer ends thus project beyond the outer margins of the top and bottom of the slide, so that vertical Work may be grasped by the jaws to an extent equal to one-half the width of the jawsless an amount substantially equal to the radius of the operating shaft or rod. By thus having the slide open throughout one side and the operating shaft or rod nearly in line with the edges thereof, the shaft or rod is always in sight and easily accessible for oiling or cleaning, and by having a closed top the slide is less apt to be clogged with foreign matter.

When work is held in a vise, especially so in the case of work held vertically, blows struck upon it are almost invariably struck downwardly and from the right to the left, since with a right-handed vise the operator must stand at theright of the vise. The force of the blow is hence against the bottom and rear of the vise, and when work is held vertically not only does the force of the blow exert a tendency to bend the movable jaw downwardly and laterally, but also to twist the same, since the work is grasped only by the projecting ends of the jaws. To prevent the vise being broken under these strains, the cas ing A is formed with a forward extension consisting of a bottom plate A and a side wall A, preferably formed in one piece with the casin g and uniting with each other at their angles. The bottom plate A is of the same width on its upper surface as the slide B, so that the bottom of the slide is supported thereby, and the extending side wall'A is immediately adjacent to the rear side of the slide and its inner surface extends vertically up to the top surface of the slide, so that it offers a lateral support to the slide throughout the entire height thereof. This extending side wall A is opposite to the projecting ends of the jaws and receives and sustains all lateral and twisting strains upon the jaws, so that the jaws remain unaffected thereby,while the bottom plate A receives and sustains all downward thrusts.

for having an extension of the casing along the open side of the slide, which if used would prevent the holding of work vertically; and, moreover, blows from left to right. would effect no twisting-strain upon the jaws, since such strain would be taken up by the article grasped.

I claim as my invention- 1. A vise having a stationary casing carrying the stationary jaw, and a slide reciprocating wit-l1 reference to said casing, said slide carrying the movable jaw, in combina tion with an operating-rod extending along the line of the reciprocation of saidslide, said rod being arranged at one side of the longitudinal center of said slide, and said jaws being arranged centrally with reference to said rod, projecting outwardly beyond one side of said slide, whereby they are adapted to hold Work vertically and parallelly, substantially as set forth.v

2. A vise having a stationary casing carrying the stationary jaw, and a slide reciprocating with reference to said casing, said slide carrying the movable jaw, and said slide being open on one side throughout its length, in combination with an operating-rod extending along the line of the reciprocation of said slide, said rod having its outer edge nearly in line with the edges of the open side of the said slide, said jaws being arranged centrally with reference to said rod and projecting outwardly beyond said open side of the slide, substantially as set forth.

3. A vise having a stationary casing car-- rying the stationary jaw, and a slide reciprocating in said'casing and carrying the movable jaw, said slide having its front side open throughout its length, and having close and solid top and bottom and rear side, in combination with an operating-rod journaled at opposite ends in the ends of said slide close to the open side thereof, whereby the outer edge of said rod is brought nearly in line with the edges of said open side, said jaws being arranged centrally with reference to said rod and projecting outwardly beyond said open side of the slide, and a forward extension formed on said casing composed of a bottom plate extending beneath the bottom of the slide and of the width thereof and of a side wall extending along the closed side of the slide and of the height thereof, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. ROBINSON. 

